volleysparkle Makeup

The Maybelline Color Elixir in Caramel Infused is a darker neutral pink gloss with no shimmer or glitter.

Maybelline Caramel Infused Color Elixir

The Color Elixirs have a short wand with an angled doe foot applicator. There is a lot of hype surrounding this product, and I have to agree. The product is extremely pigmented (but not quite a liquid lipstick) and is very glossy on the lips. Caramel Infused applied very smooth to the lips and although it's a little on the thick side, it feels very comfortable on the lips. It doesn't really have a distinct scent, to me it smells like a lipstick. I got a few hours of wear from Caramel Infused before it needed to be reapplied.

The Nyx Baked Blush in Solstice is a shimmery peachy bronze baked blush. The product has a domed shape and is in a square, black package with a see through lid.

Nyx Solstice Baked Blush

I was blown away by how much I liked this product. Solstice has amazing pigmentation, possibly even better than many high end blushes. It also blends very easily into the skin to give a natural look to the cheeks. While Solstice looks shimmery in the pan, it doesn't really transfer to the cheeks, giving sort of a satin finish. With the great pigmentation and blendibility, Solstice can also work as a crease color for the eyes. I think the color of the blush is unique because it can work as a cheek color or as a bronzer. Solstice had a pretty nice wear, lasting 5 hours or more, still very visible on the skin.

I was curious about how the matte shades from the Lorac Pro Palette compared with the IT Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Palette, and now that I have both, I figured some side-by-side swatches were in order.

IT Cosmetics Naturally Pretty & Lorac Pro Palette

If you are trying to decide from the two palettes, I think it's all up to your color and finish preference. The palettes are the same price at $42 and are close in product size. The Lorac Pro palette contains 16 shadows that are contain 0.02 oz of product each. The IT Cosmetics Naturally Pretty palette contains 14 shadows with 0.028 oz and 1 larger shadow containing 0.064 oz of product. If you aren't a matte eye shadow junkie (like me), the Lorac Pro palette might be better suited for you since it has 8 matte and 8 shimmer shadows. The shadows in both palettes are soft and smooth, but the Lorac shadows have more of a buttery quality to the formula. I also think the Lorac shadows are a bit easier to blend.

I found that most of the matte shades from the Lorac Pro palette (on the bottom row) have close dupes in the Naturally Pretty palette (on the top row). Cream (LP) and Sheer Joy (NP) are similar colors, but Cream (LP) has much better pigmentation. The closest dupe for Taupe (LP) in Naturally Pretty is Mocha, but it's a bit of a stretch. I thought that the pinky shades from both palettes would be close, but Lt Pink (LP) is much lighter than Love (NP). Mauve (LP) is pretty close to All Heart (NP). Java (NP) appears to be a mix of Sable (LP) and Espresso (LP). Noir (NP) and Black (LP) are pretty much spot on dupes since they are just matte black shadows.

The Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Stick Foundation in 310 Sun Beige is medium warm caramel color. No, I did not all of a sudden become super tan, I bought this shade to use as a cream contour.

Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Stick Foundation in 310 Sun Beige

For contouring purposes, I don't think this is quite the right color. It's not dark enough and is a little bit on the orange side. This does give you a more subtle contour, though, and can also be a good base for a powder bronzer (I like the NYC Sunny Bronzer). Color aside, this product's formula works great for contouring. It is super easy to blend and does not look cakey. It can cling to dry patches, but not as bad as many other foundations I have tried. To apply, I just draw a line under my cheekbones and on the sides of my nose and blend out with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. If you are interested in how this works as a foundation, see my review on the shade 115 Ivory HERE.

The Nyx Hot Singles Eye Shadow in Coquette is a medium taupe with a pinky mauve undertone and a matte finish.

Nyx Coquette Hot Singles Eye Shadow

The Hot Single Shadows come in a small, circular plastic package with a clear lid that allows you to see the color inside. Coquette has a pretty smooth texture, but it doesn't have a blow-you-away buttery feel. I am really impressed by how easy this shadow blends, especially since it's a drugstore shadow with a matte finish. Coquette is a fairly light color, and works great as a transition color, alone as a crease color or smudged under the lash line.

The Nyx Nude Matte Shadow in Blame It On Midnight is a light peachy tan shadow with a matte finish.

Nyx Blame It On Midnight Nude Matte Shadow

The Nude Matte Shadows come in a circular, black plastic package with a see through lid. Blame It On Midnight has a very soft texture, and feels like it could be a high end shadow. The shadow's light color in addition to the blendability makes it a great choice for a transition color in the crease. To make this shadow even better, Blame It On Midnight has amazing pigmentation.

The IT Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Vol. 1 Matte Luxe Transforming Eyeshadow Palette consists of 14 neutral matte shadows and one shimmery Transforming Pearl shadow. The palette has a soft, plush feel, unlike any other palette I've seen. It closes magnetically and has a decent sized mirror on the inside.

All of the shadows have a very soft texture, similar to the feel of the Lorac Pro Palette shadows. The shadows are also easy to blend, especially since they are matte. Most of the shadows have great pigmentation, but the lightest shade, Sheer Joy is the least pigmented of the bunch. I think the transforming pearl shade is an interesting idea, but it doesn't "transform" the matte shadows into shimmery ones. All it really does is lighten the color a little and add a bit of a sheen. I layered the transforming pearl shadow on top of each shadow in the swatches, on the top half. I think that this palette provides a great array of matte shades for any beginner or makeup junkie. You probably won't be able to tell a difference, though. A few of the shadows are very similar to shadows in the Lorac Pro Palette, and I will have comparison swatches coming soon!

The Nyx Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippie is a brown nude with peachy undertones. The Chunky Dunk is Nyx's newest version of a jumbo lip pencil.

Nyx Peach Fuzzy Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippie

Peach Fuzzy, along with the other shades of the Chunky Dunk, is sheer, even when built up. Products like this are quick and easy to apply and manage throughout the day. Given the nature of the product and the color, it doesn't show up too much on the lips, but does make the lips less pink and darker. It also gives the lips a balmy shine. Peach Fuzzy is easy to apply and has a smooth formula. It felt quite comfortable on the lips when first applied, but I did notice it begin to feel less comfortable throughout the wear. I still think that I prefer the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains over the Chunky Dunks, but I think that these would still be a good option for people looking for a sheer lip color.

The Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush is a pointed liner brush made of a single piece of silicone. Like the other eye brushes from Real Techniques, the Silicone Liner Brush has a purple handle.

Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush

The concept of this brush is really unique and I haven't seen any other brand with a silicone liner brush. This brush is very convenient for gel (or cream) eyeliners, you literally dip the brush into the liner and apply as if it was a pencil liner or other liner brush. However, I have found that you will need to dip into the liner two or three times to get a full line on the lid. It can pull on the lids a bit, just like any pencil liner or liner brush would. I'm not sure if I will be using this everyday for my eyeliner, but I think it's a good brush to add to the collection.

The Nyx Matte Lipstick in Daydream is a midtone coral with a matte finish. It comes in a matte black tube that indicates the color in the middle. Daydream is a newly released shade for Nyx's Spring 2014 collection.

Nyx Daydream Matte Lipstick

All of the Nyx Matte lipsticks have a great formula, and Daydream is no exception. Daydream has a thin formula that easily glides onto the lips. Despite it being matte, it feels moisturizing on the lips, even more than some cream finish lipsticks. Daydream has an opaque color and doesn't take much time to build up on the lips. However, with the opaque color, Daydream can be a bit tricky to apply and it's not a color you'd want to put on while running out the door.